The
Slovenian coast is rich in many treasures such as the sea, cliffs, hills, a
rich historical and cultural background... all of which are actively connected
with gastronomy. The flavours of the natural local ingredients of the
Mediterranean, with a touch of the sea and Istria... inspire a wide variety of
ideas for new culinary wonders by our chef Aleš Grašič, who creates in Grand
hotel Bernardin 5*.
Aleš Grašič - A magician of Mediterranean flavours
The first thing you notice about Aleš, the head chef of Grand
hotel Bernardin 5*, is that he is in
love with his work. He enjoys creating menus, dishes and flavours which are
based on local ingredients. If you’re looking for a perfect risotto that is
praised even by the most demanding Italian guests, an excellent fish carpaccio
or fillet and an astonishing dessert, then Grand hotel Bernardin is without a
doubt the perfect destination for you.
The
vision of the cuisine in Grand hotel Bernardin focuses on
natural ingredients and creates flavours with a Mediterranean & Italian touch. The guideline remains Less is more, thus our chef swears by
local dishes with a modern twist.
It was
spontaneous, natural and unplanned... and it turned into love already during
his school years. Aleš cooked for the first time in elementary school,
starting as any pupil with instant puddings. He quickly upgraded “the recipe”
by mixing vanilla and chocolate flavours. After finishing the Secondary
school for catering and tourism of Maribor, making puddings turned
into preparing mashed potatoes and spinach. At 18 years Aleš was already
working in Grand hotel Bernardin during his internship. Then he enriched his
knowledge by attending culinary workshops in Chioggia, by learning with Bine
Volčič and cooking shows. Becoming a
master chef is a maturation process which requires constant work, a passionate
desire to create and the will to incessantly improve your work until the
results are perfect.
Love
goes through the stomach. Aleš is inspired by his love for minimalism and
textures in combination with molecular cuisine. He values tidy spaces,
precision and organization. He is convinced that quality is based on order and
discipline. A perfect cuisine requires a vision and perfection on the plate,
which is created by the chaos of constantly improving the dish. The final,
prefect synergy of taste and outlook can be achieved only by trying out
flavours and techniques, repeating and looking for solutions.
And what is his favourite dish?
Basic
and simple... pasta »bavette« with tomato sauce, fresh basil and parmigiano
cheese.
The best recipe... mmm, delicious! We're already hungry...
Chef Aleš Grašič would highlight the cold starter which was also part of the winning menu at the Tourism and hospitality chamber competition. He has perfected the dish to the point where the fish flavours (trout, zander and salmon, each prepared in a different way) complement the pig crust in which the trout tartar is fried. He added local components such as olive foam with white truffles and fleur de sel.
Trout tartar fried in pig crust - Poached zander fillet - Salmon brik with olive foam, truffles and buckwheat popcorn - Buckwheat porridge in porcini mushrooms aspic - Olive air - Trout caviar - Poached quail egg with fleur de sel - Young salads
Visit Grand
hotel Bernardin to make you culinary wishes come true. Delicious specialties
for every taste can be found in various locations: Grand restaurant and Pečina restaurant
in Grand hotel Bernardin; restaurant Barka next to the acquapark Laguna
Bernardin, restaurant Pristan and Mesečeva in hotel Histrion, Restaurant
Taverna Mediteran on the promenade in Bernardin; the covered terrace Grand
Garden, Grand Café and piano bar in 5* Grand hotel Bernardin, Café San
Bernardino in hotel Histrion and pizzeria Batana in Piran.